Widow sues man she believes killed jailer husband

$1 million in damages sought from person who hasn't been charged in shooting.

$1 million in damages sought from person who hasn't been charged in shooting.

February 10, 2007

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- The widow of a slain jailer is seeking $1 million in damages in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the man she believes killed her husband two years ago. Stacy Brand named a 27-year-old Bloomington man as the person who shot her husband, Bill Brand, even though no criminal charges have been filed in the case. "For the last two years, we've had to keep quiet," Stacy Brand said of the lawsuit filed Wednesday, one day before the statute of limitations expired. "We can keep quiet no longer." Bill Brand, 39, was driving home after a shift at the Monroe County Jail on Feb. 8, 2005, when someone in another car shot him in the back of the head, reports show. Attorney John Shean contends in the lawsuit that authorities believe the accused, who is being held at the Westville Correctional Facility, used a laser-sighted rifle to shoot Brand. Monroe County Deputy Prosecutor Bob Miller said he expected to receive the Indiana State Police file on the case next week and would review it to see where investigators were. He said that to his knowledge, there is not enough evidence to warrant a charge. "That's not to say that that might not change," Miller said. "We could get more evidence against him, but at the same time, leads against other suspects are still being pursued." Stacy Brand said in a statement she believes the accused man might have had a vendetta against her husband. He faces a hearing in the civil case on Tuesday. Shean acknowledged it is rare to file a civil suit in a case where criminal charges have not been brought. "I've never been in this position before," he said. Neither he nor Stacy Brand would comment on whether the accused man knew Brand or his family. Shean said he didn't want to jeopardize an ongoing investigation. Brand's mother, Janis, said her son was a good, devoted man. "He was a quiet person, and he knew how to take care of himself," she said.